MICHIGAN
The state is reaching out to small businesses.The Michigan Department of Career Development has developed the online training program BeeFreeway, under the partnership of Michigan Virtual University and Netg, a division of Thomson Publishing, an e-learning business.Programs in business leadership and teamwork are offered for all businesses, but companies with 25 or fewer employees can use the program for free.If we help the small businesses who really are the backbone of our economy, why dont we help them upgrade their skills? said Tiffany Dowling, spokeswoman for the department.The program gives small businesses a chance to give their employees training for promotions or new skills, a luxury usually not allowed in small business budgets, Dowling said.Some employees are doing three different jobs that cant be covered so its real hard for small businesses to release those workers, she said.Small business owners partaking in the program register at the Web site, www.beefreeway.org.